Aster plant named ‘Esmholanda’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of cut flower  Aster  plant named ‘Esmholanda’, characterized by its strong and erect flowering stems; symmetrical branching habit with long lateral branches; dark green-colored foliage; early, uniform and freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with light violet-colored ray florets that resist fading; flat and straight ray florets; and excellent postproduction longevity.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Aster hybrida cultivarEsmholanda.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of cutflower Aster plant, botanically known as Aster hybrida and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Esmholanda’.

The new Aster is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new cut flower Aster cultivars withdurable leaves, strong and long stems, desirable floret colors and goodpostproduction longevity.

The new Aster originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventorin El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador in February, 2000, of a proprietaryAster selection identified as Line 51, not patented, as the female, orseed, parent with an unknown Aster selection, not patented, as the male,or pollen, parent. The new Aster was discovered and selected by theInventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in El Quinche,Pichincha, Ecuador. The selection of this plant was based on its durablefoliage, strong and long stems and desirable inflorescence form andattractive ray floret color.

Asexual reproduction of the new Aster by vegetative tip cuttings wasfirst conducted in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador in January, 2001.Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features ofthis new Aster are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Esmholanda has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or lightlevel, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Esmholanda’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Esmholanda’ as a new and distinct cut flowerAster:

-   -   1. Strong and erect flowering stems.    -   2. Symmetrical branching habit with long lateral branches.    -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.    -   4. Early, uniform and freely flowering habit.    -   5. Daisy-type inflorescences with light violet-colored ray        florets that resist fading.    -   6. Flat and straight ray florets.    -   7. Excellent postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Aster can be compared to plants of the female parentselection. Plants of the new Aster differ primarily from plants of thefemale parent selection in ray floret coloration as plants of the femaleparent selection have white-colored ray florets. In addition, plants ofthe new Aster are taller than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Aster can be compared to plants of the cultivarChantal, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in ElQuinche, Pichincha, Ecuador plants of the new Aster differed from plantsof the cultivar Chantal in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster were more vigorous than plants of the        cultivar Chantal.    -   2. Plants of the new Aster had longer leaves than plants of the        cultivar Chantal.    -   3. Leaves of plants of the new Aster were linear in shape        whereas leaves of plants of the cultivar Chantal were lanceolate        in shape.    -   4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Aster lasted longer than        inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Chantal.    -   5. Inflorescences of plants of the new Aster had more ray        florets than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Chantal.    -   6. Ray florets of plants of the new Aster were slightly lighter        in color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Chantal.    -   7. Inflorescences of plants of the new Aster had smaller disc        ray florets than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar        Chantal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Aster showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possibleto obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newAster.

The photograph at the top pf the first sheet comprises a sideperspective view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Esmholanda’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typicalinflorescence of ‘Esmholanda’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementionedphotographs, following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown and flowered during the summer in El Quinche, Pichincha, Ecuador,in an outdoor nursery and under conditions which approximate thosegenerally used in commercial cut flower Aster production. During theproduction of these plants, day temperatures ranged from 12 to 30° C.and night temperatures ranged from 5 to 12° C. Plants were about four tosix months from planting rooted young plants when the photographs andthe botanical description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Aster hybrida cultivar Esmholanda.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary Aster hybrida selection            identified as Line 51, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown Aster hybrida selection,            not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 12 to 16 days at 17 to 25° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 21 to 25 days at            17 to 25° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; 161B in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type cut flower Aster.            Flowering stems upright and strong. Vigorous. Symmetrical            branching habit with long lateral branches.        -   Plant height.—About 130 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 28 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: About 18. Length:            About 66 cm. Diameter: About 3.1 mm. Internode length: About            2.8 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, pubescent; waxy.            Color: 144A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple;            sessile. Length: About 15.2 cm. Width: About 1.8 cm. Shape:            Linear. Apex: Acute. Base: Sheathed; lobes, slightly            cordate. Margin: Slightly dentate. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Glabrous, smooth; waxy. Color: Developing foliage,            upper surface: 137A to 147A. Developing foliage, lower            surface: 137A. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A.            Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137A to 146B.            Venation, upper surface: 144B. Venation, lower surface:            146C.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with narrowly            elliptic-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences terminal or            axillary. Disc and ray florets develop acropetally on a            capitulum. Inflorescences not fragrant. Inflorescences            persistent. Inflorescences face mostly upright. Uniform and            freely flowering habit.        -   Flowering response.—Plants flower year-round in Ecuador.            Plants begin flowering about 14 to 15 weeks after planting.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about two weeks as a cut flower and about            25 days on the plant.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 38 inflorescences develop            per lateral branch.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 6.6 mm. Diameter: About            5.3 mm. Shape: Nearly globose. Color: 137C to 143C.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.6 cm. Depth (height):            About 1.2 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.5 cm. Receptacle            diameter: About 1 cm. Receptacle height: About 7 mm.        -   Ray florets.—Number of ray florets per            inflorescence/arrangement: About 44 in arranged in about two            whorls. Length: About 1.8 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape:            Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Obtuse with emarginations. Base:            Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Orientation: Initially upright,            then horizontal. Aspect: Mostly straight. Color: When            opening, upper surface: N87C. When opening, lower surface:            N82D. Fully opened, upper surface: N88C to N87C; color            becoming closer to 85B with development; ray florets resist            fading. Fully opened, lower surface: 85B to 85C.        -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.            Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 45. Length:            About 5.6 mm. Diameter, apex: About 1.6 mm. Diameter, base:            About 0.7 mm. Shape: Tubular, salverform, elongated. Apex:            Five lobes; lobes acute. Color, immature: 153C. Color,            mature: Apex: 151B. Mid-section and base: 145C.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 39. Length:            About 6 mm. Width: About 1.3 mm. Shape: Narrowly triangular.            Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: 137B.            Color, lower surface: 143C.        -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 1.4 cm. Length,            fourth peduncle: About 5 mm. Length, seventh peduncle: About            8 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Aspect: Erect to about 35° from            vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 137B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Quantity of stamens per disc floret: Four. Anther            shape: Linear. Anther length: About 1.3 mm. Anther color:            9A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 9A. Gynoecium:            Present on both ray and disc florets. Quantity per floret:            One. Pistil length: About 8 mm. Stigma shape: Bilobed; lobes            linear. Stigma color: 1C to 150D. Style length: About            5.4 mm. Style color: 145D to 157A. Ovary color: 157C.        -   Seed.—Length: With pappus, about 5 mm; without pappus, about            3 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Color: Dried, 199A.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Asters has not been observed on plants grown under commercial    greenhouse conditions.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Aster have been observed to    tolerate temperatures from about 7 to about 30° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of cut flower Aster plant named‘Esmholanda’, as illustrated and described.